Flavonoids from the leaves of Diospyros kaki reduce hydrogen peroxide-induced injury of NG108-15 cells

Flavonoids from the leaves of Diospyros kaki L (FLDK-P70) are main therapeutic components of NaoXingQing, which is a novel and patented Traditional Chinese Medicine drug used for the treatment of syndrome of apoplexy for years in China. The present study investigated the effects of FLDK-P70 on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptosis-like damage of NG108-15 cells. Pretreatment of cells with FLDK-P70 alleviated H2O2-induced cell injury and apoptosis by upregulating Bcl-2 expression and improving redox imbalance as indicated by the alleviation of the decline in the intracellular endogenous antioxidants: glutathione and glutathione peroxidase as well as catalase, with the decrease of the leak of lactate dehydrogenase and the reduction of the accumulation of malondialdehyde. These results indicate that FLDK-P70 may be potentially used in the prevention and treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury and other neurodegenerative disease. Upregulating bcl-2 and improving cellular redox state by FLDK-P70 may play critical roles in attenuating oxidative injury. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.